Rory Boylen's Column

Plenty of people were calling out Yzerman and Co. for not including Green and Stamkos after losing to the U.S., but such derision is without base. "To the people across Canada, we tried. We gave it our best. To the people who booed us, geez, all of us guys are really disheartened. We're disillusioned and disappointed.

Can you guess who is the USA's all-time leading Olympic scorer?; Kudos to Jack Johnson; and a run-in with the Sedins. Did you know the all-time leading goal-scorer for the USA at the Olympics was actually born in Midland, Ont?
Herbert Drury, who played for the Americans at the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games (and who is a relative of mine) was born in 1895 and began his hockey career with Midland of the Ontario Senior League in 1914 and he played in that league until the 1916-17 season, when he moved to Pittsburgh.

Don Waddell's latest deal - Lehtonen to Dallas for Vishnevskiy - is another example of how this franchise has failed to develop. We all recognize how important it is to build through the draft, especially in an age where teenagers make the direct leap more than ever. If you’re a team like the Atlanta Thrashers, who can’t afford to fill front-line roster spots through free agency, the draft is all the more important to keep the team competitive.

A team that was expected to win now is doing everything in its power to do just that - but at what cost? The Philadelphia Flyers traveled to Calgary to take on the Flames Monday night.
The game was dreadful. It was utterly plain and lacked the intensity you’d expect from two teams fighting for their playoff lives.

With a penchant for making a big splash in the trade market, the cap room to sign him, and depth in the system, the Avs have the tools to swing a trade. I never like coming up with trade possibilities because the attempts are futile and the unexpected always happens, but I can’t get this thought out of my head.

San Jose's grit-guys will make a difference this spring... Why Burrows doesn't get respect... and there's no need for a head-shot rule. Sure they have a great amount of star power, but the San Jose Sharks have some other interesting pieces that will be integral to a playoff run.

From his days in St. Louis, to his upset in Edmonton, to his move to Toronto, Curtis Joseph provided a treasure trove of memorable moments. The earliest memory I have of being a hockey fan (though I know I watched before that) involves a dash to the television, flicking on Pittsburgh-Minnesota (because the Cup could be won that night) and enthusiastically getting pumped up by the old – and the real – Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song.

With injuries running rampant through the NHL it's worth discussing who should be first to step in if somebody goes down. Since there are no taxi squads for the Olympic teams this time around – replacements for injured players can be added anytime between now and the start of the tournament – all we can do is speculate and debate about who Canada’s first call-up should/will be.

The WJC is great, but there's another historic holiday hockey tournament that's worth watching. There’s no doubt in my mind the best hockey tournament to watch over the holidays is the world juniors. It’s some of the best hockey on television all year long with exuberant, fast-paced action showcasing the NHL players of tomorrow.

With a new owner and a stable, quality team pushing for a playoff spot, fans in Phoenix finally have something to smile about. Reports of the Coyotes demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Off the ice, a new owner will soon be in place, one who is not seeking an out-clause in a handcuffing lease that has 26 years remaining on it.

The names honored on the NHL's trophies are there for a reason and shouldn't be changed just because their origins are a distant memory. What is with the incessant cry for change in this game?
The latest needless cause is to re-name the trophies given out to the NHL’s best at the end of the season.

Injuries in Buffalo have forced extra responsibilities amongst their young blueliners, but players like Chris Butler are holding the fort. As surprising as it is to have a gangly rookie Tyler Myers currently setting the time-on-ice pace for the Sabres, the fact 23-year-old Chris Butler is the only other 20-minute player on the team is an equal eye-opener.